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INTRODUCTION.

All these constitute but one circle or Universe original Greek: Kosmos, which is “One yet All Things.”

A decorative woodcut tailpiece or fleuron, featuring stylized floral or vegetal elements, centrally positioned on the page.

INTRODUCTION.

Yang The active, light, or masculine principle.
Motion

Yin The passive, dark, or feminine principle.
Quiescence The state of stillness or rest.

Fire, Water, Earth, Wood, Metal These are the Five Elements or "Five Phases" (Wuxing) that constitute the material world.

The Way of Heaven original: Qian (乾) forms the male.

The Way of Earth original: Kun (坤) forms the female.

The myriad things are generated through transformation.

This Circle is the Infinite original: Wuji (無極); original Greek: apeiron (απειρον), meaning the boundless or indefinite; the “First God.”

This second circle is the Great Extreme original: Taiji (太極) or the whole mass of Primordial Breath original: Qi (氣); the vital energy or force that makes up all existence.. The small circle in the center represents the first circle which is inherent in this one and is the Doctrine of the Mean original: Zhongyong (中庸), referring to the central, balanced principle of Confucian ethics and metaphysics. of Confucius.

The Five Elements generated from the preceding.

A male and a female generated from the second circle; and contained in the one circle of the Universe original Greek: Kosmos (κόσμος), which is therefore a great Hermaphrodite In historical mystical and philosophical texts, this term was often used to describe a being or system that contains both masculine and feminine principles in perfect union..

The Myriad things The "ten thousand things," a traditional phrase for all the diverse objects and beings in the world. generated from the second circle...